How to install Virtual Machine Additions on a virtual machine

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SUMMARY

This article describes how to install Virtual Machine Additions on a virtual machine in Microsoft Virtual PC 2004.

MORE INFORMATION

Virtual Machine Additions provides features that integrate a virtual machine with the physical computer. Virtual Machine Additions includes the following features:

Drag-and-drop functionality

Folder sharing

Integrated mouse support

DOS CD-ROM support

Optimized video driver support

Time synchronization

Clipboard sharing

Improved operating system performance

To use these features, you must install Virtual Machine Additions on the virtual machine after you install the operating system on the virtual machine. Virtual Machine Additions is available for the following operating systems:

To install Virtual Machine Additions for a Windows operating system, follow these steps:

Open the Virtual PC Console.

In the list of virtual machines, double-click the virtual machine that you want to install Virtual Machine Additions on.

In the virtual machine window, log on to the guest operating system.

Note For virtual machines that use Windows NT, Windows 2000, or Windows XP, you must log on as administrator or as a member of the Administrators group to install Virtual Machine Additions.

On the Action menu of the virtual machine, click Install or Update Virtual Machine Additions.

If you cannot move the mouse pointer to the Action menu, press the ALT key to the right of the spacebar to release the mouse pointer from the virtual machine window. By default, the ALT key to the right of the spacebar is the host key.

In the confirmation dialog box, read the information, and then click Continue.